adyship.

'Don't I?' replied Bouncey complacently; adding, 'that's all you know.'

'He'll whop her, to a certainty,' observed Seedeybuck.

'What makes you think that?' asked her ladyship.

'Oh--ha--hem--haw--why, because he whopped his poor horse--whopped him over
the ears. Whop his horse, whop his wife; whop his wife, whop his horse.
Reg'lar Rule-of-three sum.'

'Make her a bad husband, I dare say,' observed Bob Spangles, who was rather
smitten with Lucy himself.

'Never mind; a bad husband's a deal better than none, Bob,' replied Lady
Scattercash, determined not to be put out of conceit of her man.

'He, he, he!--haw, haw, haw!--ho, ho, ho! Well done you!' laughed several.

'She'll have to keep him,' observed Captain Cutitfat, whose turn it now was
to play.

'What makes you think that?' asked Lady Scattercash, coming again to the
charge.

'He has nothing,' replied Fat coolly.

''Deed, but he has--a very good property, too,' replied her ladyship.

'In _Air_shire, I should think,' rejoined Fat.

'No, in Englandshire,' retorted her ladyship: 'and great expectations from
an uncle,' added she.

'Ah--he looks like a man to be on good terms with his uncle,' sneered
Captain Bouncey.

'Make no doubt he pays him many a visit,' observed Seedeybuck.

'Indeed! that's all you know,' snapped Lady Scattercash.

'It's not all I know,' replied Seedeybuck.

'Well, then, what else do you know?' asked she.

'I know he has nothing,' replied Seedey.

'How do you know it?'

'I _know_,' said Seedey, with an emphasis, now settling to his stroke.

'Well, never mind,' retorted her ladyship; 'if he has nothing, she has
nothing, and nothing can be nicer.'

So saying, she hurried out of the room.

CHAPTER LXVI

MR. SPONGE AT HOME

[Illustration]

Sponge was most warmly congratulated by Sir Harry and all the assembled
captains, who inwardly hoped his marriage would have the effect of
'snuffing him out,' as they said, and they had a most glorious
jollification on the strength of it. They drank Lucy's and his health nine
times over, with nine times nine each time. The consequence was, that the
footmen and shutter were in earlier requisition than usual to carry them to
their respective apartments. Sponge's head throbbed a good deal the next
morning; nor was the pulsation abated by the recollection of his
matrimonial engagement, and his total inability to keep the angel who had
ridden herself into his affection